Registration for preschool and kindergarten for fall of 2026 is underway or starting soon.
If you have a child born in 2022 or 2023 who will be attending a part-day, school year-based pre-k program this fall, then don't wait to start looking for a program.
For parents/guardians of children heading to kindergarten this fall, the Kindergarten Registration Information presentation will be held on March 9, 2026, at DePaolo Middle School. Pre-registration starts at 5:30 pm, and the presentation will begin at 6 pm. The snow date is March 16th. Online registration opens March 10th.
The page: Kindergarten Registration - Early Childhood Collaborative of Southington | ECCS has these details and also has information about registering for parochial schools in town, the Open Choice and Magnet School programs, extended preschools and homeschooling.
Kindergarten Readiness Workshop - April 14 from 6:30 pm to 8 pm
The Southington Public Schools and Early Childhood Collaborative of Southington invite parents of preschoolers to this free workshop.
Come learn about what children should know about literacy, numeracy, developmental play and fine/gross motor skills to be prepared for entering kindergarten in the Southington Public Schools in the Fall of 2026 or 2027. For Southington parents and caregivers of 3 -5 year olds.
Topics and speakers:
Literacy Readiness
Stephanie Lawlor, ELA/SS Curriculum Coordinator
Numeracy Readiness
Alicia Naleway, Math/Science Curriculum Coordinator
Developmental Play
Cathy Goralski, Special Education Coordinator
Fine/Gross Motor Skills
Learn more and register for this FREE workshop here.
In 2021, the ECCS recruited Parent Ambassadors to coordinate the Community Cafe events, help with outreach, and provide feedback about what is happening in the community. With the ECCS’s new role as a Local Governance Partner, the Parent Ambassadors' role is to be a bridge-builder between families and the ECCS, bringing family voice and lived experience to the partnership table.
Get to know Parent Ambassador Jessica Springer-Cap
"As a university professor of executive function and early childhood education, Jessica Springer-Cap is dedicated to shaping not only strong educators, but strong foundations for children’s futures. Her work centers on helping teachers and parents understand how skills like self-regulation, organization, and cognitive flexibility impact lifelong learning. A mother and a stepmother to four beautiful children, ages range from 13 to 3. While currently working on her doctorate in educational leadership, she remains deeply connected to the Southington community, where she actively works to bridge families with the resources and support they need to thrive."
We all know that a mother’s health before and during pregnancy has a vast impact on potential complications during and after the pregnancy for both mom and baby but many often forget or do not know how much the father’s preconception health can affect these outcomes as well.
Placental Health
Emerging evidence suggests that sperm quality and paternal metabolic health may influence placental formation and function. Impaired placental development is one of the underlying contributors to preeclampsia, a potentially dangerous hypertensive disorder of pregnancy.
- A systematic review reported that paternal age, smoking, metabolic health, and chemical exposures can affect placental development, function, and related pregnancy disorders. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40699405/
- A large U.S. cohort study found that poor paternal preconception health was associated with higher odds of preeclampsia among healthy mothers. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33895399/
Neurodevelopmental Risk & Paternal Age
Advanced paternal age is associated with increased risk of autism spectrum disorders, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and certain rare genetic conditions. The risk increases because sperm accumulates de novo mutations over time.
- Research on advanced paternal age describes mechanisms (including accumulation of de novo mutations) that may contribute to autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders in offspring. https://www.nature.com/articles/tp2016294
- Systematic reviews and meta-analyses also find associations between paternal age and risk of autism spectrum disorders and schizophrenia. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12978-021-01266-w
Alcohol & Lifestyle Factors
Alcohol consumption prior to conception has been associated with increased rates of congenital anomalies and low birth weight. Smoking, obesity, chronic stress, and toxin exposure can also alter sperm DNA integrity, which may affect embryo development.
- Animal models show that paternal alcohol exposure before conception can reduce embryo survival, affect placental gene expression, and negatively impact pregnancy success. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36637195/
- Reviews of male-mediated developmental toxicity identify alcohol (alongside tobacco and other substances) as altering spermatogenesis and potentially influencing offspring outcomes if exposure occurs during sperm development. https://www.mdpi.com/2305-6304/13/9/707
- Narrative reviews note that paternal alcohol intake can induce epigenetic changes in sperm that are associated with early developmental delays and behavioral changes in offspring. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11678361/
- Reviews of observational evidence identify paternal smoking, obesity, and other lifestyle factors as influencing sperm quality and offspring outcomes. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12889-023-15335-1
Why Timing Matters
Spermatogenesis (the process of sperm cell development) takes roughly three months. This means lifestyle improvements (balanced nutrition, regular physical activity, reduced alcohol intake, reduced/quit smoking, etc.) can positively influence sperm quality within one reproductive cycle.
The Board of Education has been voting on ambitious rebuilding plans that would impact four elementary schools in town. The BOE voted in May to rebuild Kelley and expand South End and last Thursday voted 8-1 to rebuild Derynoski and close Flanders. The next step is a vote by the Board of Finance and Town Council, with a possible referendum on June 2nd.
Read the Southington Outsider article about the proposal for the schools here.
Read the Southington Outsider about last Thursday's BOE meeting here.
Southington Public Schools has presentations, meeting videos, and more here.
The eighth and final RAPID-CT survey opens tomorrow, February 25th, to Connecticut families with children under the age of 6. You can take this survey even if you've already taken any of the previous surveys.
The survey should take no more than 15 minutes to complete and is available in English, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, and Portuguese. It is open Wednesday, February 25th, through Wednesday, March 25th.
You are welcome to invite family and friends across Connecticut with children under the age of 6 to also take this survey, but please do not post the link on social media to cut down on the spammers.
If you successfully completed any of the previous surveys, we thank you and you will also be receiving messages directly from the RAPID Survey Project at the Stanford Center on Early Childhood about future surveys. We will be sharing the results of these surveys as we get them.
February 26th - Pregnancy and Postpartum Mental Health: Education and Resources - 6 pm at the Southington Public Library. Join the ECCS and Postpartum Support International CT Chapter, along with local perinatal support providers, to learn about perinatal mood disorders, support, treatment and care resources. Register for this FREE event here.
March 3rd - ECCS Office Hours - 11 am to 1 pm at 35 North Main Street, Suite 3A-8. Stop by to see ECCS Executive Director, Joanne Kelleher. She can answer your questions about raising children here in town.
March 9th - Kindergarten Information Session - 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm at Joseph A. DePaolo Middle School. For all parents/guardians who have children entering kindergarten for the 2026-2027 school year. No registration is required.
March 19th - ECCS at the Library - 9 am to 12 pm at Southington Public Library in the Children's Department. Stop by to ECCS Executive Director, Joanne Kelleher. She can answer your questions about raising children here in town.
March 23rd - Community Table Meeting - 1 pm to 2 pm at 35 North Main Street, Suite 3A-8. Contact us for more information about this meeting.
April 14th - Southington Kindergarten Readiness Workshop - 6:30 pm to 8 pm at John F. Kennedy Middle School. Come learn about what children should know about literacy, numeracy, developmental play and fine/gross motor skills to be prepared for entering kindergarten in the Southington Public Schools in the Fall of 2026 or 2027. Register for this free workshop here.
For more details, visit www.southingtonearlychildhood.org/events/ or follow us on our social media.
Did you know that the ECCS does not receive funding from the Town of Southington or the Board of Education? Our work to support the parents and caregivers of Southington’s youngest citizens is funded primarily through grants we have applied for.
Receiving contributions from individuals like you helps support our operations and allows us to show our larger funders that there is strong community backing for this work.
There are many ways that you can support our work -
- Volunteer or serve on the Board of Directors
- Get us something from our wishlist
- Advocate
- Donate online
- Follow, Like, and Share our social media
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Copyright © 2026 Early Childhood Collaborative of Southington, all rights reserved.
Early Childhood Collaborative of Southington
35 North Main Street, Box 10, Suite 3A-8
Southington, CT 06489